Katie Ledecky secures 16th individual swimming world title, surpassing Michael Phelps
With seven Olympic Gold medals, three silver, and 16 individual world titles, Lececky has surpassed Phelps’ record of most individual Gold medals at World Championships
On Saturday morning, Katie Ledecky achieved a historic milestone, surpassing 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps with her 16th individual swimming world title.
The record-breaking moment came in her signature 800-meter freestyle event, where she completed the race in 8 minutes, 8.87 seconds. This victory secured her the 29 fastest times in history for this event and extended her undefeated streak since winning her first Olympic title at just 15 years old in 2012.
HISTORY FOR KATIE LEDECKY 🤩
— ESPN (@espn) July 29, 2023
She passed Michael Phelps with the most career individual swimming world titles of all time 🥇 pic.twitter.com/DGEXaI6GNC
No slowing down for Ledecky
Ledecky’s accomplishments didn’t stop there; she also became the first swimmer to win any event six times at the world championships.
During the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Ledecky had an impressive performance, clinching two gold medals (800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle) and two silver medals (400-meter freestyle and 4×200-meter freestyle relay).
Looking ahead to the 2024 Summer Olympics, the 26-year-old has the potential to approach Phelps’ Olympic medals record further, though surpassing it might be a challenging task.
Watch Katie Ledecky make history as she wins her 6th world championship in the women’s 800m, her 16th individual swimming world title! 🥇 #AQUAFukuoka23 pic.twitter.com/nIFBjILGUZ
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 29, 2023
How many Olympic medals does Ledecky have?
Currently, Ledecky holds 10 Olympic medals, placing her just two shy of the second-place spot in swimming, occupied by Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte, Jenny Thompson, and Dara Torres.
Out of her Olympic medals, seven are gold, which puts her only two behind the second-place holders in Olympic history, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, American swimmer Mark Spitz, and runner Carl Lewis, as well as Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi.